Page 6 of She Didn't See It Coming
He nods. “She’s five foot three, about one hundred twenty pounds. Thirty-five years old. Shoulder-length blond hair, green eyes. She was wearing black yoga pants and a gray sweatshirt when I left this morning, and she had her hair in a ponytail.” He’s thumbing through his phone for photos.
Jayne watches as Hernandez takes the details down. “If we don’t find her quickly in the building, we’ll need to take her phone and hercomputer. Is there anything out of place in the apartment, anything missing?”
“No, nothing.”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes. I looked.”
“Was the door locked when you arrived home?”
He looks confused for a moment. “Um, I used my key to get in, like I always do, but I don’t really know if it was locked. I didn’t try it first.”
“Do you mind if I take a look around?” Jayne asks.
“No, not at all.”
As Jayne stands up, she says to Hernandez, “Get the description and photo out to the full team immediately.” She turns back to Sam. “If we don’t find her quickly, we’ll need all her banking information to see if she’s accessed her accounts recently.”
“She hasn’t run away, if that’s what you’re suggesting,” Sam says sharply.
She doesn’t answer. She knows that sometimes people do run away. In fact, they do it all the time. They have enough, and they suddenly snap. Or they plan it carefully. And she knows nothing about this woman and her family. It all looks perfectly fine, but that doesn’t mean it is. You might leave your phone and purse behind if you wanted to walk away and start over.
Or perhaps she has simply fallen somewhere in the building and hit her head. Or it might be something worse. Perhaps she’s been taken from this apartment against her will. Or perhaps her husband killed her. It’s possible that this condominium is a crime scene. She takes Officer Hernandez aside and speaks to him quietly. “Treat the apartment as a possible crime scene. No unnecessary persons in—clear anyone with me first—and make sure everyone is documented.”
3
Lizzie, in her sister’s condo, with the uniformed police officer standing nearby and the female detective looking around, watches with close attention. Sam is distraught. It’s good that Clara is at Angela’s, not seeing all this. Lizzie thinks she should go check on her niece, but she doesn’t want to leave the apartment in case something happens, in case there’s an update.
She doesn’t want to miss anything. She knows that something has happened to Bryden; she would never abandon her family. Lizzie feels as if a current is surging through her, like electricity, as if she is a human tuning fork, humming, humming. But she doesn’t think anyone has noticed. She’s a nurse; she’s good in emergencies. It’s her job to keep everyone else together, to manage her own feelings as required. She’s used to it.
She’s already made the difficult call to her parents, who live in Tampa, Florida. Her mother had become hysterical on the phone. Her father was so shocked he barely spoke. They all know that Brydenwould pick up her daughter—unless she couldn’t. They said they would fly to Albany immediately. They will stay with Lizzie at her apartment in Center Square, which isn’t too far from Bryden and Sam’s, only a ten-minute drive. Lizzie tried to reassure them, but her reassurances rang hollow. This isn’t like Bryden at all.
•••
Jayne meets Detective Kilgourand the search team in the lobby. Tom Kilgour is in his early thirties, just a bit younger than Jayne. He’s tall and broad shouldered and exudes quiet strength. One would be mistaken to think that his brawn is his best asset; he’s a smart, talented detective and she’s glad he’s here. They work well together.
The building manager, Ravi Sabharwal, has arrived now too and is standing behind the desk with the young man who was here before, but who is looking less bored now. Ravi, a worried-looking man of about forty, will accompany the search team. He knows every part of the building and has the necessary keys to gain access. Jayne has already made a preliminary inquiry about the Albany Police K-9 Unit, but they are currently engaged elsewhere. Perhaps that won’t be necessary.
“How many apartments in the building?” Jayne asks Ravi Sabharwal.
“There are one hundred thirty-five units,” he answers. “Twelve stories. They range in size from six hundred to four thousand square feet.”
“What about common areas?” Kilgour asks.
“There is a party room on the twelfth floor, as well as a gym. They require keys, and all residents have access. The floors and elevators and stairs, of course—they are open to anyone who lives in the building. There are two levels of underground parking below. Also a storage area, with lockers for the residents, which also requires keys. There are some maintenance rooms and a garbage and recycling area. Residents don’t have access to those.” He adds, “Most units have balconies.”
Jayne already knows that Bryden Frost’s unit doesn’t have a balcony—they hadn’t wanted one because of safety concerns for their little girl.
Kilgour will accompany the search team. Meanwhile, Jayne will start the door-to-door, interviewing residents on the eighth floor first. She advises Ravi that if Bryden isn’t quickly found, she will want to review any CCTV with him, so he’s not to leave. “What kind of CCTV coverage do you have here?”
He looks slightly uncomfortable and says, “Coverage on the front and back doors of the building. Nothing on the floors or elevators.”
“What about the underground garages?”
“There’s CCTV there, but it’s not working right now.”
She looks back at him in disbelief. “Why not?” She’d expect better security in a building like this.
